Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Cream of Watercress Soup

This vitamin and phytocehmical rich soup is so fresh and light in taste and doesn’t have any cream in it at all!

Watercress can have a radish taste but mellows when cooked and is considered a cruciferous vegetable. Cruciferous vegetables have many cancer-fighting properties and may boost the immune system as well.

Thyme has the essential oil thymol in it which may have antiseptic and antifungal properties.

Parsley is usually used as a garnish to cleanse the palate but it is also vitamin and phytocehmical rich as well as.

This soup is really fast to put together. You can have it on the table in 30 minutes. Watercress has a wonderful, peppery taste and is full of vitamins A, C and K. Adding the finely diced stalks gives the soup extra flavor, while the butter or cannellini beans give it a higher protein content than the usual potatoes and a creamy texture and taste without dairy. If you cook your own beans, add the liquid they were cooked in and cut back on the stock proportionately. If you aren’t vegetarian, try making this soup with chicken stock.

The website, Cook for Your Life, where this recipe was taken, also provides great recipes that are indexed by symptom and are made from wholesome foods.

Cream of Watercress Soup

Soups Serves: 4-6 Prep: 20 - 30 min

Ingredients

• 3 bunches watercress, washed well
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 medium onion, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 (15-ounce) cans of white or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups vegetable stock or water
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Finely dice the thick stalks of the watercress. Set aside. Break up the leafy greens into leaflets, discarding any remaining thick main stems. Set aside and reserve some for garnish.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. When it starts to ripple, add the onions, diced watercress stalks and thyme. Fry until the onion starts to soften. Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle with a little sea salt and cover. Sweat the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Don’t let them burn or color!
3. Add the beans and their liquid and stir to mix well with the vegetables. Add the stock if using canned beans. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and cook until the beans are heated through and can be easily smashed against the side of the pan with a spoon, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the watercress leaflets to the soup and cook for 5 minutes, until they wilt. Blend the soup until smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender. Bring back to a simmer, add all the watercress leaves and the chopped parsley, and cook a minute more and taste for seasoning. 
5. Serve immediately.